I recently purchased one of these and due to pick it up when my permit comes through. I have a couple of questions before I start loading for it.

1. Are these Savage combo guns stronger or weaker than leverguns in this calibre ?

2. Are there any peculiarities about the rifle/chambering that I should be aware of ?

3. Being a break action you have more freedom with bullet style and OAL. For practice I will be mostly using cast and about the only jacketed bullets I'd use would be for medium size deer. What are your best load recipes for this application ?

Joe

Joe,

I am fan of Savage 24s and have several of them. The biggest problem that I find with them is that they tend to have a wandering point of impact when the barrel gets hot. I had a Savage 24V in 222/20 that would put the 1st shot from a cold barrel in the "X" at 100 yards, but would walk the next rounds fired up to 6" high after 4 or 5 shots. So the message to me was "make the 1st shot count!". I am shooting the Hornady 160 grain LeverRevelution factory ammo in my current Savage 24V in 30-30/20 and it shoots 1.5 to 2.0 MOA at 100 yards. I have generally found 170 grain 30-30 factory ammo to be more accurate, in general, than the 150 grain loads.

FWIW, the best article that I've ever seen on the Savage 24s was written by a guy named Marshall Stanton and is posted at www.beartoothbullets.com. Actually, most of the things that Marshall has written and posted are worth reading.

Jeff

I have three of them, all shoot progressively lower after the first shot. The first two shots are pretty close, after that the upper barrel tries to expand with temperature and the lower barrel constrains it. I think they bend in an imperceptible arc that causes them to shoot lower with each shot. Not a big problem for a hunting gun, I shot a pronghorn with one two weeks ago bang-flop.

I shot one for years, then gave it to a friend in AK. He shot two moose with it and a boxcar load of grouse.

They are in fact a two shot gun, then the barrel heats up and point of impact gets lower and often drifts to the right...at least it did with the two I owned.

I would simply shoot factory 160 or 170gr ammo. They are tack-drivers when scoped. The lock up is just medium strong, so treat it kindly.

Thanks for the feedback.

I just picked it up and it looks to be hardly used and in good condition. It's fitted with a scope but I'll probably remove that and look to fit a peep sight in due course. Its D&T-ed for a peep sight and appreciate any leads as to where I might locate one to fit.

Regarding the barrel clamp at the muzzle end holding the two barrels together, is it feasible to ream the top hole slightly larger and have the 30/30 barrel free floating ?

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by JFE: Its D&T-ed for a peep sight and appreciate any leads as to where I might locate one to fit.

Williams might be the answer for the peep sight; I used the original leaf sight fixture and made an aperture to fit where the notch used to go. I could take a cellphone picture of it but don't have a place to post it.

I put a Williams sight on the receiver. Since it wasn't meant to be a target gun two shots within vicinity of each other at 100 yards was good enough for me.

Namibiahunter

I don't believe that Savage 24s were factory d&t for a receiver sight, but any receiver sight for a base intended for a flat sided receiver could be modified to fit.

Jeff

260RG - you're right. Those two screws on the RHS that look like grubs screws for a peep sight arent grub screws at all. Doh!

Joe